KUALA LUMPUR, 15 June 2009: The hazy conditions in the country have improved, resulting in better visibility, as 39 locations registered good Air Pollutant Index (API) readings while 11 others recorded moderate readings as of 11am today.

According to the Department of Environment (DOE) website, the API reading for Port Klang had also improved from 67 yesterday to 54 today.

An API reading of between 0 and 50 means good air quality, 51 to 100 is “moderate”, 101 to 200 means “unhealthy”, and 201 to 300 means “very unhealthy”, and 300 and above “hazardous”.

Bintulu in Sarawak was among the few places that recorded a slight drop in air quality after recording 63 on the API compared with 56 yesterday while conditions in Miri improved from 76 yesterday to 35 today.

Meanwhile, a Malaysian Meteorological Department spokesperson said visibility in all areas improved to more than 10km except for Petaling Jaya, Malacca and Butterworth, Penang which recorded visibility of between eight and nine kilometres.

Seven hot spots were identified in West Malaysia, one each in Selangor, Kedah, Perak and Kelantan, and three in Pahang, while Sarawak recorded six hot spots, Sumatera 99 and Kalimantan 11. No hot spots were found in Sabah. — Bernama